David Vandervelde
Waiting for the Sunrise

THE REVIEW

It's incredible how David Vandervelde, in just one year, has matured toward pop-rock. Those who remember the debut of this multi-instrumentalist from Nashville will never forget their cries of joy when hearing Marc Bolan again in the midst...of 2007!

 Yes, because David unleashed an impact of low-fi folksy psychedelia crouched on a magical flying carpet toward a land of unicorns and goblins. A year later, forget about that extraordinary voice that enveloped a world in stardust and bells that ceased to exist almost forty years ago. Today, David has taken that brief but significant journey from that carpet to the couch at home to lay us down with a handful of expansive pop songs.

 The production by Jay Bennett (formerly of Wilco) endows each track with infinite class, relying not only on the still ever-exceptional voice, but also on first-rate accompaniment made of Hammond organ (the wonderful "Someone like you", which seems snatched from George Harrison), west coast guitars (notable "California Breeze" and "Old Turns", with the Byrds just around the corner), and piano that supports yet another vocal miracle (the title track).

 An album that takes us back to the longed-for singer-songwriter music of the seventies when in that field the master was the great Canadian. Speaking of Neil Young, try listening to an acoustic ballad like "Need for Now" or the guitar-driven " Lyin' in Bed" and tears will flow as you are projected on the beach watching the sea that once again manages to soothe everyday worries. Just like this album.

 The usual miracle of music.